Quick Braised Green Beans

Trim, wash, and cut into 1 inch pieces:
One Pound Green Beans
Set aside.

Add, to a warm skillet:
3 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, diced
Cook bacon until crispy.

Add:
2 Cloves Garlic, diced
1 Shallot, diced
2 Tsp. Ground Coriander
Cook one minute.
Add green beans, and then cook one more minute.

Add:
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbs. Sherry Vinegar
Cover.
Reduce heat to low.
Cook 20 minutes.

*The bacon and stock should add enough salt to the dish. Don't add extra salt until you taste, but do add more if necessary.

*Beans should be cooked through, but not overcooked. The texture should resemble a cooked piece of pasta.

*If desired, thicken leftover liquid with a small pat of butter.

Pizza Failure

Every few months, I have to fly to New York to eat pizza. It's genetic. My dad feels the same urge. When you grow up with NY pizza, nothing else really satisfies. So, I've been experimenting with various methods (pizza stone in oven, brick over hot coal, terra cotta stone in smoker) to stop the cravings, and nothing has quite worked.

Last night, my pizza making dreams took a step backward. I thought making my own dough would be the way forward. Unfortunately, I suck at baking. Therefore, my dough was...not great. It turned to crisp flatbread fairly quickly, but didn't cook all the way through for 25 minutes. Effort to delicious ratio was far too tilted to effort. Failure.

Back to the drawing board.

*I had a ton of leftover dough, so I threw it in a bread pan and made a loaf of bread. The bread was about as good as the pizza.

Minty Glazed Carrots

Add, to a hot pan:
1 Tbs Butter
2 Carrots, sliced to about 1/4 inch
1 Shallot, Diced

Cook one minute, then add:
1 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Agave or Honey
1 Tbs Fresh Mint, chopped
Pinch Salt

Cook for one more minute.
Serve hot or cold.

Idea: Dust Off Your Cooler

The problem with farmers' market shopping during the summer is that, unless you go straight home after, your fresh eggs are going to be cooked before you get the chance to cook them yourself. We've all had it happen- raspberries turning into compote, lettuce wilting, good beef gone bad. Fear not, though. A solution is at hand.

Remember when you used bring a cooler full of beer down to the shore? Maybe you still do. Well, grab some ice packs and bring your cooler to the farmers' market. This way you can keep your perishables nice and cool while you go on with the rest of your day.

Whiskey Soaked Flank Steak

Whisk together:
1/2 Cup Whiskey
1/2 Cup Apple Juice
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Serrano Chili, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, smashed
1 Tbs. Agave Nectar
2 Tsp. Onion Powder
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Fresh Black Pepper
1 Tsp. Liquid Smoke (optional)
15 Stalks Fresh Time

Pour over:
2 Pound Flank Steak

Marinate for about 24 hours.
Grill over direct heat for about 7 minutes per side.

*If you don't have agave nectar, use the same amount brown sugar.
*If you have a smoker, feel free to smoke beef instead of adding liquid smoke. That's what I did.